The Hylian Seahorse
by GrapieBee
Summary: A magical mask, a fun party, a chance to be just another person for the night, all these things certainly sound like a good time. Link finds out the hard way that every action has a reaction, like ripples in a pond. [MPREG, SidLink focused]
1. Strange Treasure

Truth be told, Link never had and never would come across an item as strange as this again. Hidden in the depths of a wayward forest in an abandoned cave, so tucked away Link had almost missed it, there was a chest.

In the chest, he found a mask.

When he had put it on, his bones breaking and contorting under his skin, he found himself like and unlike the Hylian he had just been.

Instead of hair he found smooth scales. Instead of a nose he found a slope that led up and into his newly extended forehead. It was when he looked at his hands that panic settled in. Green webbing lay between his fingers, his palms snow white, and the back of his hands a deep gold, like you might see in a sunrise.

He quickly hooked his fingers under is jawline and pulled, the mask giving way easily. As it left his face, he felt that same pain as his bones and muscles shifted beneath his skin once again.

Again, as soon as it had come, it was gone, and he was looking down at his hands, returned to their original shape.

The mask had left the labyrinth with him, no thought in his mind as to what it might be useful for.

It's weeks after his fight with Calamity Ganon that his mind thinks back to it, as he leaves Zora's Domain. The Prince, for as cheerful and kind and good and great that he was, continued to use his title with him. It was always, 'Hero this' and 'Hero that'. Though he knew the Prince would never purposely wound him, that title on his lips had turned into a dagger.

He was more than just a hero. He was a flesh and blood man who wanted so much more than just to be a hero to the Zora Prince.

His intention was never malicious in nature. It was a certain curiosity that need satiated, to be someone other than the Hero, if only for a little while.

He knew the perfect opportunity when he saw it, in a delicately decorated letter, reminding him of the celebratory ball being held in Zora's Domain in five days' time. To celebrate the end of Calamity Ganon and the beginning of a new Hyrule.

As Link, he regretfully declined.

As a Zora, he was giddy to attend.

The night could not have gone better, truly it couldn't. He blended in, for once in his remembered past, hundreds of eyes did not bear into him when he entered a room. It was nice, to be able to meander in a crowd and not have person after person come up and formally introduce themselves. The last person he would have expected to notice him, however, did.

"I don't know if we've been introduced yet. Might I ask for your name?"

Prince Sidon, for his size and overall presence, had a way of sneaking up on people.

"O-oh, um, no I don't believe we have! My name is Lin-" He stops himself before he finishes, clamming up.

"I apologize, what was that again?"

"Len. My name is Len."

The rest of his evening is an exciting blur of dances and laughter, made all the better by the free-flowing wine and spirits native to the Domain.

It's later, much later in the evening, that he steals the Prince away from the other drunken guests.

Link revels in the way his slips through the water, like hands through silk. He marvels at how quickly he can swim through the water, just as if he were a bird to the air. He can't remember when their playful banter had turned into flirting. Nor can he remember when they stopped swimming and started holding, touching, tasting one another.

He does remember the way Sidon feels inside of him, almost too hot, almost too much to bear. That he will never forget.

He finds himself lazily floating down the river in the early morning light, Sidon's arms gently encircling his shoulders as the current gently pulls them along.

Quietly and carefully, he untangled himself of the larger Zora's arms and quickly swims to shore. When he stood, his legs wobble and he knows the night before had not been a dream. He makes sure he's well out of sight from the river before he removes the mask, his face flushed.

He truly hadn't meant for such a thing to happen, but there's no way for him to lie and say he hadn't enjoyed it either.

It was weeks later that he noticed something was amiss. He awoke in his rent bed at a stable, on his way back to Zora's Domain, with vomit pooling in his mouth. He only just makes it outside, emptying his meal from the night before onto the road.

He dry heaved several times thereafter, though there was nothing else for him to expel. As soon as the nausea had come, it was gone, leaving only a sour taste in his mouth.

"Eat something dubious for dinner last night, eh?" The stable clerk had joked with him on his way back into the tent.

He'd offered the man a shrug, unable to muster the energy he needed to answer further. He still had a half days ride to reach Zora's Domain and he seriously hoped it wasn't anything worse than a bout of bad food.

Unfortunately, he would find himself taking nearly an additional three hours to reach his destination. He'd had to stop and rest several times during the morning part of the trek, waves of nauseousness turning his face green time and time again.

As the morning wanes into afternoon, his sickness seemed to have passed, leaving only a ravenous hunger in its wake.

Upon making his way across the blue stoned bridge leading into the main hub of Zora's Domain, he is met with a familiar and jovial voice.

"Link! Hello there, my dear friend, it is wonderful to see you!"

It was the first time Link had come face to face with the Prince since the party. He does everything in his power to not let his thoughts wander back to the time in the river, how they had fit together so perfectly-

He felt his ears pool with a blood red blush and he dearly hoped the Prince didn't notice.

Sidon escorted him, as he always did during his trips here, directly to the palace. Link always enjoyed these little moments he had alone with the Prince, before then had to go their separate ways, take care of their separate responsibilities. Sidon to deal with political correspondences and thank you notes for those who attended the celebration weeks ago. Link, to speak with the King on behalf of the Princess of Hyrule, to begin paving the way to rebuilding a mutual relationship between the two races.

If Link were honest with himself, he would much rather prefer Sidon with the tedious letter writing.

Before Link even has dinner, he finds himself uncharacteristically exhausted. He figures it is just another symptom that goes hand in hand with the illness he'd felt that same morning, he brushes it off without another worry and goes to bed right after his meal.

It's the following morning, however, that he begins to feel that whatever this was couldn't be ignored.

He wakes suddenly and, just as had happened in the stable, his stomach is already flipping and shaking in his gut when he sits up. He just makes it to a bin in the room he's been put up in and, once again, his meal from the night before comes tumbling out.

Once his stomach calms enough for him to stand, he makes quick work of stripping out of his night clothes and changing into the clothes he would wear for the day. As he does so, he rubs at his stomach, the muscles underneath sore from over exertion. It's when his fingers run over a small raise in the skin, something he would have ignored if his stomach hadn't just been completely emptied, that a pit of fear forms in his chest. He presses gently, doing his best to not make himself ill again, silently hoping that what he had felt was a figment of his imagination.

Unfortunately, it was not. A small lump rested in his abdomen and even his tender pushing against it was uncomfortable.

That certainly couldn't be anything good.

He spent the rest of his morning trying, and sometimes failing, to keep the contents of his stomach where they should be. This does not go unnoticed by the Zora around him, word of his suddenly weak stomach circulating so quickly that Sidon has heard before the afternoon is over.

"Link, there you are my friend! I've been looking for you. I've heard word that you are feeling unwell?"

Link shakes his head, even as the sour taste of bile still lingers on his tongue.

"I wasn't feeling very well this morning, but I feel fine now."

He watches as Sidon scrutinizes him under an intense stare for a long moment. It's a look like one he'd been on the receiving end on the night of the party and the memory alone makes the skin on his neck flare red.

"If you say so. Just, please, if you are still feeling unwell at any time during your stay, just know that our healers would be glad to see you, day or night."

Link feels a twinge of gratitude blossom in his chest at the Prince's concern.

"Thank you. I'll keep that in mind."

And keep it in mind he did. The rest of the day passes like the first, the afternoon filled with discussions of expansions and trade routes, and his evening being spent exhausted and hungry, despite the enormous amount of food he consumed.

It's on the third morning of his stay that he has had enough of this nonsense.

Nearly like clockwork now, he is awoken to a flip in his stomach, to the need to vomit, and is unable to hold the need back. This time, he unfortunately does not make it to the bin this time, and a mess of partially digested food ends up in his lap and down his front.

A part of him wants to yell in frustration, but he knows it will do him and his situation no good.

As carefully as he could, he strips off his soiled clothes and sheets from the bed, putting them all in a pile on the floor. His frustration still lingering, he curtly pulled out another tunic and day pants, none of the more proper clothes he had brought to be presentable.

Doing everything he could to keep his stomach from upsetting itself again, he clothed himself once more and washed his face in the basin of fresh water in the room. Patting his face dry with the nearby towel, he took a moment to swig some of the unused water from the pitcher, swishing it a few times in his mouth to try to help with the hot nastiness that was his mouth.

From there, he quickly made his way to the infirmary, something he had passed by on multiple occasions. The Zora that sat at the welcome desk was quick and courteous with getting him into see someone.

"Prince Sidon stopped by last night to say that you might be paying us a visit sometime during your trip. I do so hope you feel better soon."

He nodded in thanks and was shortly after led down a winding hallway. The healer he saw was a younger male, at least young by Zora standards.

He quickly listed his symptoms of nauseousness in the morning, hunger in the afternoon and evening, and extreme tiredness during the evening.

"Well, it actually sounds like you're describing symptoms of early pregnancy, to put it bluntly."

Link balked for a second, before pointing out one important fact.

"But…I'm not female…"

The Zora healer blinked once before clapping his hands together in realization.

"Oh, that's right. I apologize, Hero, we've only seen Zora patients for quite some time, so I'm more familiar with my peoples' anatomy. I'd nearly forgotten that only Hylian females can get pregnant. Well, I suppose that's ruled out then!"

Link did his best to listen to what other possibilities his symptoms could be indicative of, truly he did.

But his thoughts kept drifting back to his night in the river, the cool water running over him like silk, the feeling of him and Sidon intimately mingling together. He'd been a Zora when that had happened.

Not a Hylian.

He left the healer with a sachet of dried herbs for a before bed tea and a pat on the shoulder.

"Please give this a try tonight and, if you still feel the same in the morning, come back to see us tomorrow, ok?"

Numbly Link had nodded, his face purposefully blank. He felt that he was overthinking this entire thing, letting himself get worked up over something impossible.

But throughout the day, time and time and time again, his thoughts turned to what the healer had said.

It's that one thought plaguing him that forces him to pull the mask from the deep pocket in his bag. He had hoped that, perhaps if given the chance, he might be able to slip away with it for an hour or two, just to swim. He never would have thought he'd be using it to visit the infirmary as a Zora.

He had to know, had to put this silly thought to rest with a finality. If that meant being getting the same checkup he'd gotten earlier, so be it.

He placed the mask to his face, steeling himself for the uncomfortable shifting of bones and muscles he had experienced before.

What he had not been prepared for, however, was the sudden burning, twisting sensation in his gut. The transformation stopped part way, forcing his joints in worse positions, making his muscles bulge under his skin. It was pure agony.

He all pulled the mask away from his face with such force and haste that he flung it across the room, listening to it clatter to the floor.

His hands shook from the residual pain coursing through his veins, twisting his gut round and round one specific spot. He clutched at his stomach, at where the pain swirled in a perfect circle around.

His mouth dries when he realizes the pain is swirling around the small bump he'd found the day before. Like a shield. Like his body was protecting something.

A wave of panic settles into his bones as the pain subsides, as a thousand and one thoughts raced through his mind.

There was one that stuck out in his mind, that thumped with a life of its own, that kept him awake through most of the night, despite his exhaustion.

How was he going to do?


	2. A Connection

Sidon was worried. While it was normally not in his nature to fret, he found himself doing so. He'd heard a concerning rumor that his dear friend had visited the infirmary two days prior and had since all but locked himself in his room.

He'd apparently asked for the day's meetings to be postponed, had apparently apologized profusely, and then had shut himself away. Having heard all this information second hand, Sidon knew he would need to get the story straight from the source.

The moment he was able, he made his way to the room Link had been staying in, having to shoo off one of the younger Zora's who'd had their head pressed against the door, trying to listen in. For all their traditions and politeness, his people seemed to have a tenacity for gossip.

Pushing that thought from his mind, he gently knocked on the door. He waited for several long beats, with no response. He knocked again, adding his voice to announce his presence.

"Link, are you there? Will you open up?"

Another beat of silence and Sidon sighs. Perhaps his friend just needed his space.

As he made to turn and walk away, the door cracked open just the smallest bit, true blue eyes peering out at him. Sidon is stunned for a moment by the vivid color, as he always was. It's the look on his friend's face that snaps him from his thoughts. Link's mouth was drawn into a thin line, his hair completely pulled back in a high ponytail, eyes red and puffy as if he'd just been crying.

"Link-"

Before he can finish the thought, Link has turned from the door, cupping his hand to his mouth. Sidon steps to the door, opening it just wide enough to fit through and then closes it once again. As he turns from the door, he is met with the sound of Link dry heaving into the rooms trash bin, his exertions bringing nothing up.

Link stops, taking deep steadying breaths, as he pushed his bangs from his eyes. Sidon could see that the heaving had brought tears to his eyes, the water making trails down his cheeks.

"Oh goodness, Link, why have you not gone back to the infirmary?"

Link continued his slow and even breaths, eyes focused on the bottom of the bin.

"Don't need to. I'll be fine by tomorrow, I'm sure-"

"Please my friend, you are ill. Why will you not accept help?"

Link sits himself on the floor, slowly pulling the bin into his lap, and remains silent to Sidon's question.

The Prince approaches him and sits next to him, his eyes never straying from the smaller Hylian. Link's expression, Sidon finds, is unreadable, save for his mouth being in that thin line again. Sidon knew he wasn't saying something, but what, he could not be certain.

"Link, what is troubling you?"

The Hero just shakes his head, his mouth pressing into a thinner line, his breathing quickening.

"Please, talk with me Link. Is it something embarrassing that's gotten you sick?"

Link bows his head further towards the bin, the flush of red on his ears not going unnoticed by the Prince.

"It's…I can't talk to anyone about it. I can't. You'd hate me, I think." Link sounds so uncertain, so lost, in those few words

Sidon's heartaches and he reaches out a hand, gently rubbing it along Link's shoulder's, trying to soothe him.

"Link, there is nothing that would change the way me and my people think of you. You've done so much for us, please, let us help you in return."

He can feel the Hylian's shoulders shake under his hand and he pauses for a long time before speaking again.

"Do…do you remember the celebration held here, a few weeks back?"

Sidon cocks his head gently to the side, unsure of where this could be going.

"Of course, I do. You were unable to attend, if I recall."

He can see Link swallow as he rubs the back of his hand against his eyes.

"Um, well, t-that's not…entirely true. Uh, do you...do you recall meeting a Zora there? R-right about my height, golden in color?"

Sidon can feel his own face tinge just the slightest pink. Though both he and that wonderful Zora had been inebriated, there was no way he would forget their night together anytime soon. He did, however, find in concerning that Link seemed to know about him.

He slowly nods his head, his hand stilling against Link's back.

"Um, well h-he wasn't a Zora p-persay. He, uh, he was me."

Sidon gives him an incredulous look; perhaps his friend had started to run a fever.

"Link, that simply isn't possible-"

Link pulls a mask from his hip, something Sidon had not noticed on him when he entered. Without another word, he slips it over his face and, for just the briefest moment, he is face to face with those same beautiful golden scales, a familiar pair of true blue eyes looking at him in pain.

Just as quickly as it had happened, it was done, Link whipping the mask off his face, his forehead glistening in sweat. His brow remained furrowed in pain as a hand moved to his stomach, holding it gently.

"W-what is the meaning of this, Link. What in the world was that?"

The hero takes several deep, calming breathes before he starts again.

"I-I was the Zora you spent the night with at the party. When I went to the healer at the infirmary, they said I was showing symptoms o-of pregnancy."

If he had eyebrows, Sidon would have cocked one up in confusion. He may not be an expert in Hylian physiology, but he was fairly certain it was the female of Link's species that could carry young, not the male.

But, his thoughts continued, if what his eyes just saw had not been some sort of trick and if what Link said was the truth, then...

Flashes of what they'd done that night in the river, the hurried kisses and wandering hands and the slow, grinding roll as he rocked their hips together…all of this done when Link was a Zora.

A wave of anger rolls through him at the realization. Link had deceived him, for what purpose he could not guess. For all of modern ideas when it came to Zora tradition, the one traditional idea he held dear to his heart was to be open and honest with those around him.

The fact that Link, one of the people nearest and dearest to, had lied to him, had toyed with his heart like that…it hurt. For as much as the Prince did not want to admit it, the slight wounded him.

Keeping his face purposefully blank, he removed his hand from Link's shoulders and placed them in his lap.

"Sidon, please say something."

The Prince's attention snapped to look at the Hylian, his anger and pain mixed into something terrible in his chest. It must have shown on his face as Link's expression shifted and was suddenly laced with fear.

"Sidon-"

In one, smooth motion, Sidon stands and marches to the door, opening it roughly. As he closed the door behind him, perhaps with a little more force then was necessary, the sound of heaving could be heard.

He couldn't talk with Link. Not right now. He knew the heat and rawness of his emotions would have him saying things he didn't really mean. For as much as Link had hurt him with this magical mask ruse, he did not want to hurt him in return.

Not if he could help it.

He needed to calm himself down, needed to think this through logically, before he attempted to speak his mind.

He decided right then and there that a walk might be the best place to start in cooling himself off. His feet carried him without thought, through the plaza and past a cluster of make shift merchant stalls. Since the death of the Calamity, Zora's Domain had seen an influx of people willing to travel all the way too them to sell their wares.

Unknown to him, there were a pair of eyes that followed him through the crowd. The owner of those eyes idly brushed the bangs from her face with her left and only hand, her frown deepening.

She'd heard that the Hero of Hyrule had a habit of hanging about the Zora Prince. It was becoming harder and harder for her to believe this to be true. It was known that the Hero was currently in Zora's Domain, but he had made himself so scarce she had only seen him once or twice in the past few days.

Tula sighed and paid the merchant what he was owed, biting into the apple she had just bought.

It was going to be much harder to spy on the Hero then she had originally thought. She would have to return to her crew of misfit boys tonight and reformulate their plan.

She hoped they would have better news to report by the end of the week. The new leader of the Yiga Clan was not nearly as forgiving as his brother had been and she had no intention of learning what punishment from him would look like.

Zelda could hardly contain herself.

It had only been a few days since the last she had received the last report from Link, informing her that negotiations were at a point that it would be appropriate for her to visit Zora's Domain.

This, however, was not the reason for her excitement.

Since she had been trapped within the castle walls, within Calamity Ganon itself, her only connection to the outside world had been through Link.

Perhaps it was because of their fated roles as the Princess and he as the Hero. Perhaps it was the Goddesses showing pity for her. Whatever the reason for it, she was too thankful for it to ever really question the why or how of it all.

Even now, free from her century long prison, there still existed a sliver of that connection between the two of them. Enough still there that, when she concentrated, his emotions and heartbeat came through to her, loud and clear. This time, though, she need not even concentrate to feel the waves of worry rolling off him. When she did focus in on him, worried about what could have put him in such a state, there was something there that she had not noticed before.

Alongside his heartbeat, there was second, softer one that worked in tandem with his own. That's what had her nearly bouncing around in her saddle, excited to see her friend, to confirm her suspicions with him.

As she and her party of Sheikah guards neared the bridge that led directly into Zora's Domain, she saw two figures waiting for them. Prince Sidon and Link, both looking cordial and regal from afar, were very different looking when up close.

Zelda eyed their body language, trying to decipher what was going on. Link look ragged, though she had expected that. It was Sidon that she saw the most notable difference in. Where he would normally be all smiles and pleasant chatter, he stood with his arms crossed, silent.

"Well, it's good to see you too, you sourpusses!" She called from her the top of her horse as she dismounted.

Link offered her a smile and a weak wave in greeting.

Sidon bowed deeply, all pomp and circumstance like.

"Welcome Princess Zelda. I hope your trip went smoothly."

She nodded, smiling warmly at the duo.

"It went just fine, thank you for asking. I am, however, a little tired. Link, would you mind showing me to my room?"

She didn't wait for him to answer as she looped their arms together and started making her way across the blue bridge leading into the domain.

"So," she began once they were far enough away from her guards and the Prince, "tell me all about what's going on."

"Well, the reports I sent you on negotiates have been pretty thorough. But if you want to go over them again, I'm more then-"

She shook her head as she did everything in her power to hold back a smile.

"No, no, no. Link, I want to hear about how you've been _doing_."

She did not miss the look of confusion he gave her. She rolled her eyes at him as she finally let a coy smile spread on her face, placing her free hand against his stomach.

"You're pregnant, right?" She whispered, unable to hide her excitement.

She had never seen the color drain out of his face so quickly before.


	3. Frustration

Link had been stunned by the Princess' forwardness. While she had always had a habit for speaking her mind, this was on a whole new level. He found himself blinking hard, trying to make sure he had heard her correctly, before eloquently answering her question with:

"Um, w-what?"

"I can spell it for you, if you need me to Link. I asked, are your P-R-E-G-N-A-"

"No, I heard you, but-"

He stopped abruptly as they entered the bustling plaza.

"Let's chat in my room, shall we?" The princess offered, her arm still looped through his.

He nodded numbly and led the way through the crowd and up into the guest quarters in the palace. Once safely behind the door of her room, Zelda unhooked their arms and spun around to face him, hands clasped together at her chest.

"So, was I right, wasn't I?" She had a twinkle in her eye that Link recognized all too well. She was pleased with herself.

He sighed, folding his arms to his chest.

"I don't know. Maybe, I think?"

That twinkle in her eye brightened as she smiled.

"Tell me, how did this even happen?"

He cocked an eyebrow at her, silently asking if she really wanted to know.

She waved her hand in a dismissive fashion, as if trying to chase away his expression.

"No, no, I don't mean the nitty gritty details. I mean, how were you even able to? It should be impossible for a Hylian male-"

"I…wasn't necessarily a Hylian when this happened."

Prompted by her confused expression, he explained how he had found the mask and how he had attended the celebration in Zora's Domain as a Zora.

"Why on earth would you do that?" Zelda asked , sitting herself on the bed of the room.

He drew his mouth into a thin line and shrugged as he turned his attention to the floor, embarrassed.

"It's so silly, thinking about it. But, I just…I really just wanted to enjoy a night without having to be the, uh, Hero."

He missed the empathetic smile that forms on Zelda's lips.

"I wouldn't say that's silly at all, Link. I certainly would have done something similar, if given the chance you had. But, if you don't mind me asking, who was it that you were with that night? I understand Zora males carry the child, but both males and females can be the fertilizer."

Link's face had turned a deep, deep red at her words, his chin ducking closer to his chest. He uncrossed his arms, his hands twisting themselves together in worry.

"They, um…they weren't female." He started, his ears tinging red as memories of that night flooded in his mind again.

"Oh, so then you had yourself a little rendezvous with a strapping Zora male. Tell me, what does he look like, just for my own curiosity?" She said, her tone almost teasing.

Link wrung his hands together further, the blush creeping to the back of his neck as he spoke next.

"It, uh, it was Prince Sidon, Princess."

He turned his attention from the floor to her when she did not speak for several moments. The expression he saw was one of confusion and concern.

"Have you told him, Link?"

He nodded.

"Is that why you two were behaving so strangely around one another?"

He moved his hand in a "so-so" gesture. Her brow furrowed further as she waited for him to elaborate.

"I…I think that might be the reason? But I'm not sure. I told him just two days ago and he, um, he hasn't really wanted to speak with me since. The few moments I've had in-between the meetings and people pulling me away to assist with something, I can't find him. So, I just, I don't know. I think he's mad at me."

The Princess' confusion turned into anger.

"What, why? What happened when you told him?"

He shrugged as he crossed his arms again.

"He looked so…upset when I told him, Princess. Like he wanted to punch something. I didn't even get a chance to tell him where I had found the mask or why I'd used it."

"Well, that is absolutely unacceptable behavior. Here, we can go together right now, I'll sit his big red butt down and we can get this sorted-"

Link shook his head, pursing his lips.

"Please, don't Princess. I just want to get through these negotiations as quickly as possible. I feel sick every morning, I'm tired, and I just want to be on my way home. I can worry about dealing with this when I'm back home and deal with this on my own-"

Zelda at some point had stood from her spot on the bed and cut off his musings when she pulled him into a gently hug. He sighed deeply and leaned into the embrace.

"Link, this isn't something you should _have_ to face alone. I can't say I agree with you not wanting to speak with Sidon, but I know you have your reasons. Just, please, don't be afraid to ask for help, ok?"

It was a long moment before Link returned the hug, sighing deeply again as he did.

"I'll do my best, Princess."

"I know you will. Now, where do you get a bite of food around here? I am famished!" She said, pulling away from him with a final pat on his shoulders.

Link smiled, happy to have the Princess here with him. If there was anyone he was happy knowing about his situation, it was Zelda.

Sidon watched as the Hero and Princess Zelda went on ahead of him, his expression impassive. On the inside, he was a mess of knots and thoroughly confused about how to begin untangling himself.

He knew that he needed to speak with Link about the mask he'd been shown. He knew he needed to apologize or at least explain why he had stormed out the way he had. He knew he needed to speak with him about what had happened at the party, needed to plan for the future, needed to confirm if the Hero's suspicions were even true.

He knew he needed to do these things, but every time he tried to speak with him in private, to pull him away for just a few minutes, the smaller Hylian seemed to slip through his fingers like water. It was always something: he was just on his way to the restroom, to a meeting, to go literally anywhere that Sidon was not.

He was doing his best to not be frustrated by this behavior, but he supposed he couldn't blame Link. The Hero seemed to keep people at an arms distance, even those who wanted nothing but to help him. His streak of independence ran deep it seemed.

Still, for all the reason and rhyme he felt he understood about Link's behavior, he was unable to help the twinge of hurt that ached in his chest every time he thought about it.

The person he held in the highest regard had lied to him.

He had disguised himself, cloaked in some unknown magic, and took him to bed (or really took him to the river, if Sidon's hazy and drunken memories were to be believed). He wasn't one to hold fast to many of the old traditions of his culture, usually. He did, however, believe in the old thoughts of honesty being the most valued attribute anyone could hold. It was something his people had always been known for, perhaps even to a fault.

He did his best to live by that ideal. He was honest with what he thought of people and was vocal about the good he saw in everyone. Link's deception cut him deep, though he wished it didn't.

Sidon sighed to himself, pushing the thought from his mind yet again. He would try again later tonight.

He, his father, and the Princess had a meeting scheduled for just after dinner. Once that was done, once that was over with, he would find Link and take care of this discussion, no if, ands, or buts about it.

Link was doing his best to focus, he truly was.

He'd been asked, as a weapons expert, to provide his own feedback on the equipment given to the trainees of the Zora guard. He'd accepted the offer, thinking that it would be nice to talk with something other than trade routes and race relations. Especially since Zelda was in a private meeting only for her, the King and the Prince, it wasn't like there was much else he had planned for the evening.

But, unlike every other night he'd been in Zora's Domain, his appetite had not been present in the slightest. In fact, his stomach felt just as bad as it had that morning. He did his best to eat at least a bite or two of a bread roll, but it was all the more that made its way into his mouth.

As silently as he could, he took slow, deep breaths, trying to keep his stomach from flipping. He tried to focus on the talk happening around him, about who made the best shields and how to tell if your spear was properly balanced. But he knew there'd be no calming his stomach once a thin sheen of sweat had started to form on his forehead and his sight began to swim.

He needed to lie down or find a restroom, sooner rather than later.

He stood, intending to excuse himself, when his vision took a sharp and dizzying turn. He felt himself pitch forward and his hands instinctively reached to catch himself. Instead, his hands caught air, his face smacked against the lip of the table, and he was out like a light.

As was customary for a meeting held directly by the royal family, the discussion Sidon, his father, and Princess Zelda held was not interrupted.

With that in mind, it ended up being over an hour later that Sidon heard the news of Link crashing to the ground. He'd felt what anger he'd held towards Link over the past few days melt in an instant and he ran as fast as his little legs would carry him to the infirmary.

He didn't even notice the sound of smaller feet falling in step with his own, just a few paces behind him. He only realized Princess Zelda was there when she saddled up next to him at the infirmary welcome desk.

He deferred to her, letting her ask where her knight was.

"He's being seen by a healer right now, Princess. If you'll just take a seat over there, I will come get you when he is given the ok to see visitors."

Sidon watched as the Princess nodded, turned on her heel, and sat herself in one of the Zora sized plush chairs of the waiting area.

He'd had the feeling all night that she was upset with him about something. He had met her only a handful of times prior, but she had never been curt with him or as matter of fact as she had been during this visit.

He thanked the Zora woman at the desk and made his way to the waiting area too, taking a seat as well. While the chair was dwarfed by Sidon's size, in comparison it made the Princess look like a small child. He wanted to chuckle at the image, but thought better then to do so. The Princess, for all of her normal calmness, had a twitch in her eyebrow that Sidon could not miss.

"Princess, if I may be so bold to say, but you look…annoyed. Perhaps it's something I can of assistance with?"

Zelda's façade of calmness shifted and suddenly Sidon knew she wasn't annoyed, she was _angry._

"Prince Sidon, maybe there is something you can help me understand. Why is it that you've been avoiding Link during his visit here? Don't try to play dumb please, I knew the moment I got here that Link was in a _delicate_ condition, as they say. Please, be as bold as you wish, I am dying to hear what you have to say."

Sidon balked for a moment, unsure of how to proceed at the Princess' sudden frankness. He paused for just a moment, choosing his words carefully.

"Well, I would not say that I have been avoiding him. I've done my best to try and speak with him about his condition, as you put it. But every chance I get, he seems to be on his way to something."

"Then what of the conversation when he first told you? Surely you stayed and listened to what he had to say, right?"

Sidon's mouth pulled itself into a thin, hard line. That was not something he could say had happened, honesty and all that. The silence dragged on for a few, terrible minutes before Zelda spoke again.

"Do you know why he used that mask, Prince Sidon?"

"I…I didn't ask, I'm afraid to say. I do not like admitting it, but his deception has weighed heavily on my mind."

"He wore it to get to know you better, Prince Sidon. To get a chance to speak with you person to person, instead of as a Hero to a _Prince_." His title slipped through her teeth like a hiss.

"Why are you so upset with me, Princess? This is just as much his fault as it is mine own and I didn't hide who I was from him."

The ice in the Zelda's eyes in that moment could have frozen a fire.

"I am not upset that this has happened, Prince Sidon. I am upset that neither one of you seems willing to suck it up and have the conversation you need to have. Because of that, because both of you are being thick, I'm certain Link pushed himself too far today to not draw attention to himself. Sidon, he thinks you're angry with him for getting pregnant in the first place."

Sidon balked again as he stared at his folded hands. No, that wasn't why he was upset in the slightest.

Before he could form another word, an attendant called for the both of them, leading them down the hall lined with rooms.

"This is getting resolved today. Whether or not either one of you likes it, you two will talk before he leaves this infirmary."

Sidon only sighed and nodded. He knew this was something he needed to do regardless; if the Princess saw it fit to help facilitate it, he was not going to try to stop her.


	4. A Talk

When Link came to, he found that his head was pounding in time with his own heartbeat. He tries to open his eyes, but the light of the room stings and his head throbs more. He immediately groaned as the memory of feeling light headed and falling rushed back to him.

It was one thing to faint and another entirely to hit your head on the way down. It was even worse that he hadn't been able to get somewhere private before it had happened.

He breathed deeply and forced his eyes open, doing his best to ignore the pain doing so did.

The blue stones of the room tell him that he is still within Zora's Domain. The stark cleanness of it tells him he is in the infirmary. He slowly sits up, his head still pounding.

"Oh, Master Link, please, don't try to sit up just yet. You hit your head when you fainted."

The voice, he found, belonged to the same older Zora male that had seen him in the infirmary previously.

"Is it bad?" Link hated the way he sounded in that moment; tired and weak.

"You should be alright, but I would like to keep you here for a few hours under observation. Just to be certain, you know?"

Link answered with a sigh and turned his attention to the ceiling, trying to will the thumping in his head to dissipate.

"Oh, before I forget, you did have some visitors waiting to see you. Do you think you're up for some conversation?"

"Sure, what else am I going to do to pass the time."

The healer snorted in amusement.

"Alright, I'll send them in for you."

The healer left Link to his thoughts and his pounding head. He knew there had been enough people present when he fainted that by now, all the Domain must have heard about it already. What was he going to say to those citizens with prying questions?

'Oh, fainting? Me, the Hero of Hyrule? Oh well, I've just been pregnant for weeks and have thrown up every morning for the past week! I'm honestly not surprised this happened! How's your day been?'

He closed his eyes and pressed his palms to his eyes, suddenly very annoyed by the entire situation.

He so wished he could say that to someone, so wished he could just be honest about how all of this made him feel. But if he did, there'd be no telling what can of worms that would open. He was here on behalf of Hyrule as the Hero. He'd taken a stab at having some personal fun weeks ago, and look where that had landed him. He was sick all the time, his head hurt, he had a lump in belly that might be a child, and, worst of all, Sidon hated him.

It was at that last thought that tears prickled at the corner of his eyes, wetting his palms. Oh Goddesses, why did that hurt him so much? His thoughts turned to the night he'd shared with the Prince, remembered how soft and gentle his kisses had been, how small his hand had felt in his. He thought of those tender moments and his heart ached.

Why would he have ever hoped the Prince would like him in that way as he was? He was a Hylian, the Hero of Hyrule. He was more his title and his heroics then he was a person. How could anyone love someone who was more of a thing then a person?

It was the soft knock at his door that snapped him from his thoughts. Sniffling and angrily wiping his tears away with the sleeve of his shirt, he answered it with a tired "Come in."

The door opened and, none to his surprise, Princess Zelda stepped through. The sight of Prince Sidon entering the room, however, sent a shock of concern through him. He jolted to a sitting position and immediately regretted it as his vision swam. He held his head in his hands and groaned.

"Link, don't sit up too quickly." Zelda said, coming to stand by his bedside.

Listening keenly, he could also hear Sidon shuffle further into the room, the door closing with a click.

"I can't say this is my most triumphant of moments." Link said, his voice still weak.

"Well, from what I understand, being pregnant can certainly be a burden on the body. I'm certain it doesn't help that you definitely don't have the hips for this sort of thing."

He snorted in amusement and smiled as he took his hands away from his face, the room now still when he looked at it.

"You always did have a way with words."

Zelda crossed her arms and shrugged.

"Oh, I know. Now, enough with these pleasantries Link, I need both of you boys to sort what's going on between the two of you."

Link's smile turned into a frown at her words and he pointedly kept his sights on his blanket covered lap.

"Princess, perhaps there's a more appropriate time for this. Maybe when-"

"Nope. I do apologize Prince Sidon, but since neither one of you seem capable of being at the same place at the same time, this will have to do."

His frown deepened as he clutched at the blanket in his lap.

"Here, I'll even hold your hands and lay out the facts for both of you. Link found a magic mask that can change him into a Zora. He attended the Zora Domain celebration while wearing it. Both of you had a little too much to drink and were intimate, as Zora. Link is now pregnant from that night spent together. Both of you are hurt for different reasons and won't talk about this because of that. Does that sound about right?"

Link's ears had turned just the slightest bit red as she had recounted the details of his escapade with the Prince. He nodded in answer and he heard Sidon hum in agreement as well. He still had yet to look the Prince directly in the face.

"Princess, I really don't think-"

"Nope, Link, this sort of thing is like a bandage. If you leave it on for too long the wound festers. Sometimes you have to let it air for it to heal."

He knew she was right. He knew that, but perhaps letting this issue fester wasn't the worst thing to do. He certainly didn't feel like dealing with it right then and there.

"I will go first."

Link's breath caught in his throat at the sound of Sidon's voice, cool and even. He kept his gaze fixed downward, his face blank.

"I felt like I was lied to, Link. Have I ever given you reason to feel like I was unapproachable? Did I do something to make you upset?"

Link shook his head, biting the inside of his cheek.

"Then why would you lie to me? Why wouldn't you just attend as yourself?"

Link felt his face turn downwards into a frown and he felt an edge of annoyance begin to rise in him, but he remained silent for a long time.

"Link, just tell Sidon what you told me."

His attention snapped to Zelda, her eyebrow raised and her hand gesturing for him to continue.

"I…I just wanted to- ugh, this is so stupid. But I just wanted to enjoy myself and not have to be the Hero. You know? For _once_." Link paused, taking a deep breath and again pushing the sudden bud of annoyance that was trying to blossom back down, before he continued.

"Why didn't you just say something to me, at least? Aren't we friends?" Link's blood simmered as an accusatory tone entered Sidon's voice and he finally let himself speak freely.

"Not to be rude, Prince Sidon, but me doing what I did wasn't about _you_. Sure, was I happy that we got to spend time together, I can't say that it wasn't fun or that I didn't enjoy myself. I did! It was one of the most fun nights I've ever had. But I didn't go with the intention of something like this," he gestured to his stomach and disheveled appearance, "happening. I couldn't have known something like this could happen to me."

He took a deep breath and finally turned his attention to the Prince. His furrowed brow and confused look boiled Link's blood further.

"Oh, don't you look at me like that. You're not innocent in all of this. I may have been at the party, but you were the one who approached me. You're the one to insist we partake in that drinking game the other Zoras were playing. You're the one who suggested we go for a swim. We both played a part in this so, why are you mad at me? Why am I the bad guy here?"

He swallowed hard past the lump forming in his throat, holding Sidon's stare. He watched as the Zora Prince's features softened and his eyes filled with something close to guilt.

"Link, I'm not mad at you! Whatever would have given you that thought?"

Before he could stop it, a scoff fell from Link's mouth and the corners of his eyes pricked with tears.

"Whatever would have- Sidon you stormed out of my room the moment I told you the truth! Do you know how much it took for me to tell you that? I didn't want to worry anyone, least of all you! But then, you show up to my room and t-tell me that everything will be fine and that nothing I can say will change how you think about me. Then the moment I tell you what I did, the second you put two and two together, you left. Y-you left me there and you looked so _angry_ , Sidon. How else was I supposed to think you felt?" His sight had turned watery and he turned his attention away from Sidon once more.

Gods, when had he ever felt this out of control of his emotions?

"Link I…" The Prince paused and Link imagined that it was probably due to a pointed look from the Princess, "…perhaps I did not handle our previous discussion as best as I could. I am so sorry that my actions made you think I was mad at you. I was just…overwhelmed by what you had told me."

Another heavy swallow and he pressed a hand against his eyes, the tears there wetting his palm. A jagged sound broke from his chest, more a sob then a laugh.

" _Y-You're_ overwhelmed? Sidon, I've been sick multiple times every day for the past week. I'm hungry and nauseous almost all the time. I'm tired and no matter how much I sleep it doesn't seem to help. I'm a Hylian man, I'm not even supposed to be able to _get_ pregnant. But, you know, here we are, just another thing I get to do. Just another thing I get to grin and bear by myself because, hey, that's what the _Hero_ does right-"

He stops abruptly as a pair of large, red and white arms incircle his shoulders. Another twinge and plunge of his emotions and his chest felt like it was being squeezed, tears finally flowing freely.

"Link, I would never ask you to do something like this alone. I am so, so sorry to have caused you such pain, my dear friend. I should have never left you the other day. I should have stayed and heard you out. I am so sorry that I didn't."

Head still pounding, stomach still aching with nausea, heart still heavy and lite with a mix of emotions, Link moved his hands from his face and wrapped them around Sidon's arm that lay in front of his chest, tears making wet tracks down his cheeks.

"Oh Link, don't cry-" Zelda began as she placed a gentle hand to his knee.

"I-I don't know why I'm crying. I-I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I don't know w-what's wrong with me."

"There's nothing wrong with you Link. We'll be here to help you every step of the way, my friend."

Link knew the Prince's words were meant to be supportive and kind, but they only wrung more tears from him.

He was scared and he was tired and he was hungry and sick. But Sidon didn't hate him. Sidon wasn't going to leave him and that almost made up for everything else.

A woman missing her right arm made her way along the edge of the river, travel hood up to keep her head dry from the rain, eyes scanning the rock walls. Upon coming to a tree with a single, red painted leaf on its left-hand side, she stopped. She threw a look discretely over her shoulder, looking and feeling for any unwanted eyes. When she was certain no one was there, she used her only good arm to gently push against a spot on the rock wall. It gave way under her touch and she slipped through the small opening, sealing the entrance once she was through.

She waited in the dark for a moment or two, before the bioluminescent rocks that acted as make shift torches sprang to life, coloring the path in a low, blue glow.

She walked deeper into the cavern, careful of her footing. The rocks tended to be slick just after rainfall. She walked one for another few minutes, stopping only when the path widened and grew into a large room. The same bioluminescent rocks hung overhead, embedded in the ceiling. The room buzzed with activity as a half dozen or so other people spoke amongst one another. When she entered, the noise stopped and everyone's attention turned to her.

Most of these people were under her command, some of them young enough to be her children, had she ever wanted any. The only one who could be called her elder sat on a low chair in the middle of the room. His face was hidden behind a distinctive mask with an eye in the middle whose tears spilled upwards, contrasted against the red and black of his uniform.

"Well, Tula, what have you got for me?"

Her face remained impassive, but a snake of anger nipped at her gut. She really couldn't stand when people talked down to her.

"The Hero is definitely still in Zora's Domain. The Princess arrived earlier today, guarded to the nines."

"Not anything unexpected."

Again, that condescending tone that he knew she hated.

"Did hear a bit of interesting news. Rumors in the Domain have people talking about the Hero being sick since he got there. No one knows what he's got, but he supposedly visited the infirmary a few days ago."

The older man's body language was hard for most people to read. Not Tula though. The small way he inclined his head, the way his hands twitched in his lap; she knew he was happy with that news.

"The Hero, sick huh? That could be interesting. Keep an eye on the situation for now, Tula. Should he leave the Domain, send word on where he's headed. If possible, it would be best for us to ambush him while on the road. If he is ill, that should make things a little easier on us."

She nodded her head and bowed out of habit. She was a part of the Yiga, you had to show honor where honor was due. Even with the independent and snarky streak that remained alive in her, after all these years, she knew that was not a rule meant to be broken.

The ache in the stump of her right arm would always be a reminder of that fact.


	5. Risks

Muzu was, for a lack of a better word, grumpy.

The negotiations between the Zora and Central Hyrule was proceeding much more slowly than he had hoped for. It certainly didn't help that the Hero had asked to postpone several of the meeting already, supposedly not feeling well.

While he did not hold the same resentments for Link as he once had, it didn't mean he couldn't get annoyed by the Hylian's antics. He had a schedule to keep! Though, if Link was being truthful about not feeling well, he certainly could not fault him for that. So, he kept his mouth shut and let his meticulously constructed schedule for King Dorephan get derailed time and time again.

When Princess Zelda arrived to the Domain, Muzu breathed a silent sigh of relief. With her present, Link would no longer be required to attend the meetings. Muzu had so hoped this fact would help them get back on track and, perhaps, even catch up to where he had planned for them to be at this point.

That hope was dashed when, upon exiting the first meeting of many with the Princess, they were informed that the Hero had suffered some sort of fainting spell and was currently housed in the infirmary. He knew, in his heart of hearts, that he should not be upset by this development. That he should feel guilty about ever questioning the news that the Hero had not been well during his stay in the Domain. If Link was ill enough that he had fainted in public, then there was no doubt that this wasn't some sort of show of dramatics.

Even still, with Prince Sidon and Princess Zelda's attention dragged elsewhere, he lost all hope of getting their schedule back on track and, once again, was grumpy.

It was with a heavy sigh that he resigned himself to that thought as fact and held his head in his hands.

"Muzu, why such the long face?" King Dorephan asked, a smile in his voice.

He shook his head and straighten up once more, the long-standing pun the King had for him dampening some of his irrational annoyance.

"I apologize, my King. I had just so hoped to stay on schedule with these discussions…I know for certain that's not going to happen. I know there is good reason for Princess Zelda's attention to want to ensure her knight is getting the care he needs. But, I find myself still irked."

The King laughed, his voice booming and golly.

"Muzu, it's alright! There's all the time in the world now for these sorts of things. The Calamity is gone from Hyrule, I would say it's perfectly fine to allow life its little ups and downs."

Muzu sighed deeply and nodded. He knew his King was right. This wasn't the same Hyrule it had been for the last century. There wasn't danger around every corner, not every decision made was time sensitive. They, as a people, finally could breathe a sigh of relief. He knew he should follow suite with his King and just relax.

He knew this, but still, a century of practice would be hard to break in only a few months.

"I know you are right, my King. I will do my best to handle these little ups and downs as they come." Muzu conceded softly.

* * *

To a certain degree, Sidon felt as if his life was flying wildly off course. Or maybe it was coming together. He honestly wasn't so sure anymore.

He still sat in the infirmary, a hand on Link's back, gently rubbing up and down between his shoulder blades. The smaller Hylian had only just begun to control his crying, his face now blotchy, his eyes puffy and red. Sidon had never seen Link like this and, given the concerned expression on the Princess' face, neither had she.

"I-I'm sorry. I don't know why I e-even cried like that." Link said, speaking for the first time in several long minutes.

"It's alright Link, sometimes a heavy cry does the soul good." Sidon offered with a smile.

Link's eyes met his and the smallest grin spread across his face. That same, shy grin from the Zora at the party. The same grin he remembered so well, despite the haziness of his other memories from the party.

How could he have ever thought Link meant him any harm? Did he not have his own fears? His own insecurities? Sidon scolded himself for only a moment, disappointed that he had let his friend down so spectacularly.

"Link, I have to ask, what do you want to do from here?"

It was Zelda who spoke, pulling Sidon's attention away from his thoughts. He stilled his hand on Link's back as the Hylian breathed in deeply and sighed.

"I mean, what can I do? My body's not really, uh, designed for this sort of thing. How do I even, what's going to happen to me-"

Sidon resumed his gentle rubbing as Link began to work himself up again.

"Relax my friend, it's alright. Take another deep breath."

Link followed the suggestion, and breathed deeply, holding his face in his hands again.

"I have an idea, Link. Why not stay here? In Zora's Domain? They have the best healers in all of Hyrule. If there's any place you should be for this, it's here. I would be happy to stay too, 'set up shop' as they say. Prince Sidon, do you think that would be something your father would accommodate?"

Zelda spoke again, hands clasped in front of her, her pointed glance directed at the Prince once more.

"I certainly don't think my Father would be opposed to the idea. Though, I would need to let him know why it is that you've both decided to extend your stay. I am, unfortunately, not very good at lying and the cat would eventually be out of the bag, as you Hylians say."

Link chuckled as he lowered his hands from his face, the sound shaking his shoulders under Sidon's hand. It was wonderful to hear him laugh, even just the smallest bit.

"Yeah, I would imagine this isn't something I can hide forever. But, where do we start with all of this? I mean, I haven't even officially been examined for-" He let his words hang, again motioning to his mid-section.

Sidon removed his hand from Link's back as a thought came to him.

"I know just the healer to help us out."

* * *

Madame Meeda, a wizened old thing of a Zora, no longer saw regular patients.

In the nearly hundred and fifty years of practicing medicine, her top priority had always been to the Royal family. She had been there to help the King with every ache and pain his old body doled out to him. She had watched Mipha grow into a beautiful young lady and die. She had given Sidon every single one of his check-ups and had always been the first to know when one of his baby teeth fell out.

She had always been there for her King and his family. She would always be there for them, until the day she died.

So, when a gentle knock sounded on the door to her office, her brow had furrowed in confusion. Everyone in the infirmary knew not to disturb her unless necessary. She did not move from her desk and, instead, turned her attention back to the paperwork at her desk. It was probably a new intern or maybe even-

"Madame Meeda, are you in there? I do hate to trouble you, but I had something I needed to ask of you!"

Meeda stood immediately at the sound of Prince Sidon's voice, her confusion deepening. He had never stopped by a visit before unless it was time for his yearly examine and she knew it would be another seven months or so before he was due for one again.

She stood, slowly, letting her old joints pop and crack under her weight. She shuffled to the door of her office, opened it, and was greeted by the Prince's wide and toothy grin.

"Well, well, well. Prince Sidon, didn't I just see you a few months ago?" she asked, returning his grin with one of her own.

"Yes, in fact you did. But, thankfully, I'm not here for myself. I was actually wondering if you might examine a friend of mine?"

She raised her brow and cocked her head. The Prince had never asked a favor of her before.

"You know I only do physical examinations for you and your father, my Prince."

"I know, Madame Meeda but my friend is in a…unique situation. Something that I think only your expertise could assist with."

Meeda chuckled under her breath. The Prince sure did know how to stroke someone's ego.

"Well, if I'm the only one that can help you, I suppose there's nothing else to be done. But you owe me a favor in return."

If possible, Sidon's grin grew even wider.

"Of course, and Madame Meeda, thank you, I so appreciate it."

Meeda closed the office door behind her, locking it with a small, silver key.

"Lead the way my Prince, I am here to help."

* * *

Link, thus far, had had a very long day. His tears had drained him of what little energy he had, but he knew he could rest in little while.

For now, he did his best to remain upright and coherent. Easier said than done.

He did his best to listen to what the healer was asking him, the answer her questions of 'Does it hurt here?', 'What's your sleep cycle been like 'What's your appetite been like?'. He found it harder and harder to answer her quickly as he yawned time and time again. He was way too tired to be doing this right now, really he was.

After a slew of questions and wrinkled hands poking and prodding his stomach, the Zora healer, who Sidon had introduced as Madame Meeda, clasped her hands together.

"Well, can't say I've ever seen something like this before, but it certainly looks like you're with child."

Link sighed, the last thread of hope that this could be anything else fluttering away in the wind.

"So, what do I do now?"

"Well, first and foremost, _you_ need to get sleep, you can hardly keep your eyes open as is. I'll be here when you wake up and will be happy to talk further about what to expect. Princess Zelda, Prince Sidon, would you both be good enough to come with me so Link can rest?"

Too tired to argue, he waved his two visitors out of the room as he lay back down on the bed, pulling the blankets over himself.

He was asleep before the door had been fully closed.

* * *

Sidon listened intently to what his life-long healer had to say, his ears catching ever word she whispered. He'd done his best to hide any fear or concern he had as she spoke, knowing he could worry himself later.

"Like I said, this is certainly an unprecedented situation. Not to stroke egos here, but he is frankly in the best place to deal with something like this." She said as they entered her office, closing the door behind them.

"I have to ask, is this even going to be something he can safely deal with?" Zelda was the first to speak, sitting down in a plush chair.

Sidon watched as Madame Meeda made her way to her small, neat desk, her hand rubbing at her chin as if deep in thought.

"Perhaps? It's hard to tell. His body would have likely killed the fetus by now if it saw it as something foreign or dangerous to him. I'm also concerned about his body trying to adapt to the changes in the coming months. He doesn't have wide hips like Hylian women, nor does he have the long torso of a Zora. There's no way to tell yet how his body will attempt to cope with the child as it grows. There's also the concern of difference in gestation."

Sidon's confusion must have shown on his face as Meeda continued, giving him a warm smile.

"Yes, my Prince, you heard me right. Hylian's are typically pregnant for only seven months. Zora, as you surely know, have a gestation period of up to ten months. He's a Hylian, but he told you he used a magical item to take the form of a Zora for conception, yes?"

Sidon felt his face flush ever so slightly as he nodded, answering her question.

"Then I would imagine the child will likely be fully Zora. But, gain, there's no way to be sure. We will have to treat this with a more 'wait and see' approach. Though, truth be told, I'm less concerned about him being able to carry it to term and more worried about delivery. There's no easy way to say this, but he would have to undergo radical surgery to birth this child."

Sidon's heart froze in his throat at her words.

"Madame Meeda, when you say that, what does that process entail?" Again, it was Zelda posing the question.

"Well, he would be given a sleeping potion, something much stronger then you'd get from your regular old town apothecary. Once safely asleep, we would have to cut his abdomen open, remove the child, and close him back up. All of that must happen in the span of only a few minutes, or his chances of death from blood loss or infection increases. So, no small task, but he's in the best place in Hyrule for that to be done in."

Again, Sidon felt his heart freeze just a little bit more.

"That seems awfully dangerous." Sidon said, quietly.

"It is, my Prince, I will not sugar coating it. While a procedure like that has been done successfully before, the survival rate has always been…less than ideal."

"How less than ideal are we talking about here?" Zelda asked, folding her hands together.

"Well, for every ten procedures like this done, three to four patients survive to make a full recovery. The other six to seven either have passed from blood loss, passed days later to infection, or some even weeks later from additional complications."

Neither the Prince nor the Princess responded to that, instead they shared a quick and worried glance. That information was troubling, to say the least. The silence drags on for a longer moment, before the Princess speaks once more.

"What if he doesn't want to bring it to term. We haven't even asked him what he wants to do. Shouldn't he have a say?"

Sidon quickly squashed out the blip of pain and anger that tried to break through the ice surrounding his heart. That was his child, by instinct alone he didn't want to consider it disappearing from the world.

But he knew Zelda's words were not meant to hurt him.

With the dangers Link would face with this, the uncertainty in what was in store for him, and all of it leading up to a major procedure with low survival rate, he knew the Princess had Link's best interest at heart. He knew this and, even still, a small stab of pain hit his heart at the thought.

"Well, I will absolutely bring that up with him tomorrow. Though, the risks would remain the same, to a certain degree. He would still have to be opened up and would still run the same risks he already has ahead of him. Though, you are very right Princess, this should be something he gets the chance to consider and make the best choice for himself on."

The Prince and the Princess shared another look between them.

Link would have a very hard road ahead of him, regardless of the choice he made.

For tonight though, they would let him rest.


	6. Lunch

Link shuffled his feet, trying to figure the best place to put his hands.

While they naturally wanted to rest at his hips, he found the pose perhaps less than ideal when trying to hide a forming pooch of a tummy. His tunics fit him just fine, that was luckily still thee truth. Though, the addition of the weight at his middle did not need additional attention called to it. It would do that all on its own, in time.

He turned his attention back to the task at hand, trying to quell the nerves in his chest. He was thankful that he had only thrown up once this morning before his stomach had settled down, as nauseousness with these sorts of nerves could only spell disaster.

He and Sidon stood before the King of the Zora, with Muzu at his side, as always. Sidon himself had requested this late morning private audience, telling Dorephan that they needed to speak with him about a delicate situation.

For all the reassurances Sidon had given him, he could see that the Prince was nervous before his father.

It was in the way he clutched his hands in front of him, how the fins on the side of his face twitched just ever so slightly. Normally so sure of himself and charismatic, seeing this very relatable side to the Prince endeared him to Link more.

He listened as Sidon dove head first into the facts of their situation. How Link had found a mask filled with magic, which Link was prompted to demonstrate the abilities of, much to his chagrin. That same pain from before, that same perimeter of pain encircling his abdomen, had him pulling the mask off after only a few moments in his Zora form.

"Astounding!" it was the King who said this, leaning forward for a moment in surprise.

Link did not miss the fact that Muzu's brow furrowed. He could not tell if it was in confusion or anger. He sincerely hoped it was the former.

"So, father, as I was saying, it was because of this mask that Link was able to attend our Celebration as a Zora."

Link could see the smallest tint of a blush form on Sidon's face as he continued.

"We spent the night together and…we, how should I put this. It seems that Link is now with child, because of that evening spent together."

A judgmental sounding scoff fell from Muzu's mouth at the Prince's admitence.

"Muzu, please, allow Sidon to finish." The King said, sitting back into his throne.

"Well, father, there is not much else for me to say. I only humbly ask that you grant Link, Princess Zelda, and her attendants to remain within the Domain until the child is born."

It was then that Sidon bowed deeply, something he had not warned Link that they should do. Before he could bow himself, Sidon was upright again, holding his father's steady gaze.

Dorephan wore an unreadable expression for a moment and Link was nearly thrown into a panic from it. There was certainly something unspoken going on between the two, something that he just did not have the tools to decipher or pick up on-

"Link."

He's snapped from his thoughts as the King's voice rumbles lowly. The King had turned that same, unreadable expression to him, nearly turning his legs into jelly.

"Yes, King Dorephan?"

The King paused for a very long moment before his expression cracked under a large and friendly grin.

"Is it true that you're carrying my grandchild?"

Link blinked, confused and embarrassed by the wording of the question.

"Um, yes, King Dorephan, that seems to be the case."

The King, in a gesture of joy Link had never seen from him, clapped his hands together and laughed heartily.

"This is just fantastic news. How wonderful! Congratulations to the both of you!"

Sidon and Link shared a look, somewhat confused. The King had still not answered their question.

"T-Thank you father. I suppose then, this means you're alright wit-"

"Yes, of course my boy! Link, please stay as long as you need and let me know if there is anything I could do for you. You'll have to forgive my excitement, it's not every day one learns they'll be a grandfather!"

Link let out a sigh of relief he didn't know he was holding and smiled, allowing himself to get caught up in the King's boisterous and excited laughter.

All three of them missed the sour look on Muzu's face.

* * *

In all the years that Madame Meeda had known Muzu, she had come to learn how to read the subtleties of his moods. The meaning of a long, thoughtful pause, how his brow knitted together in such a way when he was concerned or worried. Sometimes, however, he was like an open book.

"This is ridiculous." He said as he sat down to their weekly lunch in her office, his arms crossed and expression grim.

Sometimes he even read the book out loud to her.

"I'm sure I would love to know the context of that statement, my dear guppy." She said, sipping at a small cup of tea.

He bristled ever so slightly at the pet name, something that remained from their younger years. Back when he was to marry her, back before the Calamity, back before his duty to his King was more important than anything else.

She pushed that old heartache back where it came from; the pet name was a reminder of a more carefree time and she wouldn't let her or his terrible memories sour it.

"I know your memory hasn't gone bad yet, Meeda. I've asked you not to call me that."

"And I've asked you to discuss funding for the infirmary with the King once a week for two months. Sometimes, my dear, you don't always get what you want." She said this with a smile.

With his grumpy sigh of defeat, she gently pushed aside the papers and files crowding her desk and setting out the food for their meal. Muzu grumbled quietly to himself as he tucked into the meal she had prepared: hearty rice balls, pickled fleet lotus bulbs, and a helping each to a salted crab salad.

"Well, out with it then Muzu. Do tell me what you're finding ridiculous this week." Meeda said with another small grin as they ate.

Muzu, ever polite, finished chewing his bite of food before beginning.

"There been a…situation brought to the attention of the King, involved with Sidon and the Hylian Champi-"

"They took care of that hurdle much quicker than I thought they would." Meeda said, popping a bite of crab into her mouth.

Muzu's looked more concerned about having been interrupted for a moment before her words sank in.

"Wait a moment, do you already-"

"Muzu, darling, I've been Prince Sidon's physician since before he was born. Who else would he trust to confirm an unplanned pregnancy?"

Muzu sputtered at her forwardness, something he had once said made her unique and wonderful.

"W-well, perhaps unplanned by the Prince, but I can't be so sure about the Champion."

Meeda let her characteristic grin drop at Muzu's words, raising her brow to question him as she ate a rice ball.

"Pray tell, Muzu, how on earth was a Hylian supposed to know the nuances of Zora mating customs?"

"That's not what I mean, Meeda. I always had my doubts with his intentions in spending so much time with Princess Mipha. That concern was laid to rest once I knew she had crafted him the Zora armor. But now, here he is again, trying to forge a tie to the Royal family and, this time, with an illegitimate chil-"

"I'm going to stop you right there, Muzu." Any playfulness that had been in her voice before was gone. "Do you recall the discussion we had, only a few months after the Calamity had taken the Princess from us?"

By the softening of his expression, Meeda knew he remembered. Muzu had been beside himself in his grief, blaming himself time and time again of not trying harder to convince Mipha that the position of Champion need not be filled by Royalty.

"Do you remember how you were behaving then? Every little whispered rumor was a conspiracy to take down the throne. You wore yourself ragged chasing after phantoms. This, this thought of yours that Link somehow meant for all of this to happen, it's just another figment of your imagination."

"Well, how can you be so sure?"

Meeda's thoughts turned to Link's face when she last saw him; eyes red and puffy, head swollen from where it had been smacked against a table, reporting morning sickness happening like clockwork. Worst of all, that tired, confused, and worried expression he'd worn the entire time.

There was no way that poor boy could have planned for something like this to happen.

"Muzu," she began again, "I can promise you, on my life and profession, there is no way Link could have planned on carrying Sidon's child."

His expression softened again, though the faintest trace of doubt remained.

"I just…I fear for the Prince. He is the only one that remains with a claim to his father's throne. He is painfully kind hearted and I would hate for him to be taken advantage of."

"If he had been with anyone other than the Hylian Champion the night of conception, I would be inclined to agree with you, my dear. But, this is Link we are talking about. This is the same Hylian who risked life and limb for all of Hyrule. The same person Princess Mipha was so in love with. Do you really think he has so much as one selfish bone in his body? Or would ever intend harm on for the Zora people?"

Muzu remained quiet, as Meeda knew he would.

"That's what I thought. Now, finish up your meal, I have to be making my afternoon rounds here shortly."


	7. Rumors

When Link next saw Madame Meeda, her normally kind and snarky features were stern and serious. As he stepped into her office, she immediately turned her attention to him and gestured to a plush chair.

"Link, thank you for coming to see me. Take a seat for a moment, please."

The moment he'd gotten the summons to meet with her, a sinking feeling had pulled at the pit of his stomach. He had only known her for a brief period of time, but he got the impression that people asked to see her, not usually the other way around.

"So, what did you need to talk with me about?" Link questioned as he seated himself.

"I know this whole situation must be…overwhelming for you, to say the least. An unexpected pregnancy is a challenge for anyone, for you no doubt this is doubly so."

He frowned, somewhat confused. This had, to an extent, had already been discussed with him. Surely, she hadn't requested to meet with him just to reiterate these things?

"But I didn't bring you here to tell you what you already know. Let me ask you, Link, you strike me as the kind of man who appreciates directness. Am I wrong?"

He shook his head; no, he wasn't usually one for sugar coating.

"Splendid, that should make this much easier. I brought you here to discuss the reality of your situation and what you might have to face in the coming months."

"Oh, ok."

"First and foremost, I must ask: are you certain you want to see this pregnancy to the end?"

Link's brow immediately furrowed, confused once more.

"I wasn't aware there was any other option, honestly."

"There's always other options in all things in life, my dear boy. Now, you should be aware that, regardless of what you choose, this isn't going to be a walk in the park for you. Simply put, you weren't made for this sort of thing; we'll have to cut you open for delivery. The only difference will be if we do it in a matter of days or a matter of months."

Link's hand unconsciously made its way to his mid-section. As it rested there, he gently rubbed at the small bump that had, slowly but surely, begun to grow, letting himself soak up what Meeda had said.

If he was honest with himself, he had a feeling he had never expected to live long enough to have a family. If he dug down deep into himself, asked the parts of himself that still existed from before his hundred-year sleep, he felt that sentiment remained true.

He'd always had a single purpose, even in the memories he had. He was the Hero of Hyrule, destined to defeat an ancient evil. He was to rise to the occasion, smite the darkness on behalf of the Goddesses, and then disappear. The legends never spoke of what became of the Hero once the day was saved.

"Link, you still with me?"

Meeda's words snapped Link's attention back into focus.

"Yes, sorry."

"Don't be. I understand that it's a lot to consider. If you need some time to think it over-"

"No, I think I'd like to see where this goes." Link said simply, crossing his arms over his chest.

The look Meeda gave him was a hilarious combination of disbelief and awe.

"Link, you…you did hear what I said, right? About the whole having to cut you open situation?"

"I did."

"Well, alright then. I suppose I thought that all this might overwhelm you."

With a deep sigh, Link gave her a smile, speaking once more.

"Oh no, don't get me wrong; I'm terrified. I never thought I'd be alive long enough to have a family. Now I get to carry a kid in a body that wasn't built for it."

"Link-"

He could feel what he had once thought of as an uncharacteristic bubble of anger burst in his chest. Why did she think he even deserved her pity?!

"No, no, don't give me any of that-" he made an exasperated gesture towards her expression "-sort of look! I got myself into this mess, I should see myself through it."

Madame Meeda was silent for a long moment and Link could all but feel her take in his body language. Arms crossed over his chest, brow furrowed, a unnormal sharp tongue ready to burst from his mouth at any moment. He knew he certainly didn't look like the same person he'd been only a few weeks ago. He bit his lip and tried to relax his shoulders.

"I'm sorry. I just-"

Meeda held a hand up, prompting him to pause.

"Champion of Hyrule or not, you are my patient and I will treat you as such. Link, I'm asking what you want to do, not what you feel like you have to do. Do you want to reconsider your choice?"

Link balked a little bit, surprised by the sincerity and kindness in the old Zora's voice. He knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that she had his bets interest at heart. She wasn't here for Sidon or Zelda or Dorephan; she was there to support him. Support him and whatever choice he made.

"No, I don't. Just because I didn't know this was a possibility-" he rubbed at his mid-section with both of his hands "-doesn't mean I should just…give up on it. I guess, stranger things have happened to me. I've rolled with worse odds, so, like I said, I want to see where this takes me."

In the three months that followed that conversation, Link unfortunately found that he was not particularly a fan of being pregnant.

Meeda had tried to assure him, time and time again, that his morning sickness should subside by the third month. Time and time again, he reminded her that she kept using the word _should_ , not _will_.

When the third month came and went with only marginal improvement, it took every ounce of Link's willpower to not give Meeda a 'I told you so' look.

"Well, this can still happen, even during a normal pregnancy." She said, packing him up yet another remedy to try over the next few days.

"Madame Meeda, that's nice to know, but how is that supposed to help me feel better?"

"Oh, it's not my dear. It's just a fact."

Again, he had to bite his tongue. As the months had passed, he'd noticed a certain amount of variability when it came to his mood. The smallest things could set him on edge or annoy him. During his nightly stint of book reading, any part that could pull at the heartstrings did. So much so that he even found himself crying over the death of a fictional dog one evening, much to his own confusion.

Essential, his emotions had turned into a roulette of sorts and, time and time again, he found that he had to give himself a longer moment think about what he wanted to say. He really had no desire to let himself lash out in an emotional outburst, least of all to Madame Meeda.

He sighed deeply, calming the edge of annoyance that had reared its head.

"Ok, then, what do you recommend I do?"

"Well, we've been trying Hylian remedies for morning sickness and there seems to be little to no benefits. I was thinking about trying some Zora remedies, if that would be agreeable with you."

Link looked her dead in the eyes and raised an eyebrow at her.

"Do I look like I want to be sick all the time Mee-sorry. Sorry, that's coming out wrong, I'm just-"

Madame Meeda chuckled ever so slightly and patted his forearm.

"Link, my dear, you're perfectly fine. I'm required as a healer to ask you permission before we begin any sort of treatment. I know this isn't exactly your idea of a fun time."

In the month that had followed _that_ conversation, the two of them had worked through a laundry list of remedies for morning sickness. There were several that seemed to help, particularly anything that involved fruit. There were some, however, that seemed to make it all the worse. To the point that Link was certain he would not be able to look at roasted snails for a long while after this.

By the beginning of Link's fifth month of pregnancy, the only thing that seemed to provide him some consistent relief were roasted fleet-lotus seeds. Three in the morning, two with lunch, one with dinner and as many in between as needed to help.

He would be much happier about this remedy if he enjoyed the taste of the seeds. But, of course, that would be just too much to hope for, wouldn't it?

He stretched his arms over his head as he thoroughly chewed on his morning dose of seeds, the now familiar sharp sting of neasousness dulling as the seeds slid down his throat. He smacked his lips together, pulling a face. He just couldn't get used to that sweetly bitter after taste.

Rolling his neck and shoulders next, yet another joy of his changing body made itself known for the day. While his shoulders and back had given some marginal issues during his travels, it was nothing like this. He found himself now, every morning, having to thoroughly stretch his shoulders and back, least he wanted them to be a mess of knots by the end of the day.

He had yet to bring this up to Meeda, if only because it was still a manageable discomfort.

Once stretched, he pulled his sleep shirt over his head, doing his best to not cast his attention to the defined curve of a stomach just under his chest. It was easier to not dwell on what was in store for him down the line. He still had to put his best foot forward while in Zora's Domain and, unfortunately, thinking too long or hard about how they would have to go about getting the thing growing in him out had a tendency to set him on edge.

It was just easier to get dressed and try, for a few hours anyway, that it wasn't there.

Pulling open the drawers, he pulled the largest tunic he had brought with him. Originally intended to be used as a sleep shirt, Link had deemed it nice enough to wear as a day time tunic during a morning only a few weeks ago, where his other clothes could no longer do anything for him to hide that growing bump.

So, when he pulled it over his head and felt, with a sort of sickening dread, as the fabric pulled uncomfortably tight across his middle, he did the only sensible thing.

He began to sob.

Saying that Zelda had known Link for a long time was a drastic understatement. Even with so many of his memories gone, he was still at his core the same person she had known one hundred years before.

So as their stay in Zora's Domain turned from weeks into months and Link began to grow quiet, of course she became worried. Sure, he had certainly never been what you would call a chatter box, but this was an extreme, even for him.

When he all but stopped talking, even when just around her or Sidon, she feared something had happened that he didn't want them knowing about.

Outside the whole being pregnant part, that was.

So, on a quiet morning, when she overheard a set of Zora guards talking in hushed voices about the sound of crying coming from the Hero's room, she did what anyone would do.

She rushed to speak with him immediately, to help in any way she could.

The Zora people knew something was going on, there had to be something they were not being told. The grapevine was full of theories strung together with only the barest of facts.

They knew Princess Zelda and Master Link's stay had been extended, seemingly indefinitely.

They knew Master Link had been visiting the infirmary several times a week. They knew he was tired almost all the time. They knew he was, almost daily, sick or near sick to his stomach.

Those of them that dared be nosier had noted that it seemed as if Link's stomach had slowly begun to look distended. Couldn't help but notice that he stopped wearing more form fitting tunics,

They whispered amongst each other, the facts of the situation bringing them the most obvious conclusion about what might be happening.

Master Link must be dying.


	8. Seafoam Green

Sidon and his father had always had the sort of relationship one would expect of a King and his heir. He was distant but kind, firm with a well-placed word when Sidon needed guidance.

Part of him knows this wasn't always the case; it's the same part that can remember trying to stifle giggles as he played hide and seek with Mipha. The part that remembers sitting on one of his father's enormous shoulders, listening intently as he told a fantastic story. The part that remembers scampering to his father's sleeping pool at the sound of thunder, how Dorephan would spend countless hours assuring him time and time again, there was nothing to fear in the rain.

It's the part that knows Mipha's death stunted that softness in his father, had changed some part of him. He was still a kind soul, through and through. But the death of his first born had built an icy wall around him that time had not yet thawed.

So, when he arrives at the throne room without the proper request for an audience, he finds himself extremely nervous. Though he knows that the King's schedule for the day is just as empty as the Gerudo Desert, a part of him hopes he isn't intruding on what little alone time Dorephan has for himself. Even Muzu made himself scarce on days such as today.

"Sidon, what's the matter? You look like you're about to be sick to your stomach!"

He'd never been good at hiding his emotions, least of all when he was nervous.

"Well, father, I was hoping you might be able to…advise me on something rather personal."

Dorephan sat forward in his throne, all his attention directed at Sidon. It was somewhat unnerving.

"Of course Sidon! How can I help?"

Sidon clenched and unclenched his hands before speaking.

"I've been wondering…with Link's current condition, I've begun to find myself constantly wondering about my future. Wondering what my and Link's lives will look like after all this is said and done. Did you…how did you and mother know you were ready to be parents?"

Even as he voiced his question, Sidon felt a hand of worry grab at his gut. Perhaps this was too forward of a thing to ask, perhaps he should have kept such a thing to himself-

"Sidon," Dorephan began, his voice soft and calm, "your mother and I never knew we were ready. Not really. In my many years, I've found that very few people are ever truly prepared for parenthood. Even for me and your mother, a lot was learned, as they say, "on the job"."

Sidon stared up at his father, a part of him surprised.

"So I'll just, learn as I go?"

Dorephan nodded, a grin spreading on his face as he does so.u

"But…how will I know I'm doing the right thing? What if they end up hating me or what if I hold them wrong-"

"My son," Dorephan interrupted him, softly, "do you know who you remind me of right now?"

Sidon shook his head, slowly turning embarrassed by his outburst, turning his eyes back to the floor.

"Your mother."

Those words, spoken with a certain care, had Sidon blinking rapidly for a moment before looking back up at his father.

"Pardon?"

Dorephan chuckled deeply, a bright and wide grin on his face has he leaned forward once more.

"When she found out she was pregnant with Mipha, my boy, she had the same concerns you're voicing now. Though, perhaps, she was a little more panicked then you were."

"Truly?!"

"Yes, truly."

It was then that Dorephan sighed deeply and his smile turned ever so slightly sad.

"You must hardly remember her, though. Just as you must hardly remember your sister…"

Sidon remained silent, unsure of where this might be going.

"The hand that fate has dealt our family has been unkind, Sidon. Your mother passed when you were only newly born. Your sister was taken just before your twentieth birthday. You already had so many responsibilities on top of your own grief and I allowed you face much of that on your own. For that, Sidon, I am truly and deeply sorry."

Sidon swallowed deeply, clenching and unclenching his hands once more. Never, in all his years, had he heard such remorse in his father's voice. Not even when he gave his speech during the unveiling of Mipha's statue.

"Father…you have always done your best, in everything you have faced. This Domain, its citizens, all live the way they do now because of the leader you've been. Being strong in the face of tragedy, even one as terrible as the loss of your firstborn…I would never blame you for needing to do that."

Dorephan, in a slow and calculated motion, reached a hand towards Sidon and gently, very carefully, stroked the top of his head.

"It wasn't fair to you though, my son. I know your own grief must have been a terrible thing to bear, just as my own was. I should have never shut down the way I did, not when you needed your only family member there for you."

Sidon blinked rapidly once more, water pricking at the corners of his eyes as his father continued.

"By the time I realized that I had pushed you away, you had already grown up, practically all on your own. I cannot make up for the lost time there has been between us, as father and son. But I promise you this: I will be the best grandfather to your child that there has ever been. And I know you will be a better father then me, by leaps and bounds."

"Thank you, father." He said, with a warm smile.

The icy wall that had been built between the two of them for the better part of a century melted, just ever so slightly, in that moment.

* * *

A thousand things ran through Zelda's mind as she quickly made her way to Link's room.

In the months during her and Link's stay in Zora's Domain, Link had grown quiet once more. His behavior especially over the last few weeks had begun to mirror how he had behaved as her newly appointed knight over one hundred years ago.

She would be lying if she said the shift hadn't concerned her. It was already so hard at times to read him, even with the added bonus of that other-worldly connection that still existed between them. His growing silence made it all the more difficult.

Though, really, she knew she couldn't fault him. It was in his nature to bottle things up, to downplay his own concerns or discomforts. Given the unique situation he now found himself in, dealing with the newness of everything his body was going through, reverting back to his tried and true methods of coping weren't unexpected.

She knew, in her heart of hearts, that should he need a helping hand or and open ear, he would know she was there. Or, so she had thought.

The whispering from the guards, of crying coming from behind Master Link's door, had spurred her into action as every ounce of anxiousness she had been holding crashed down on her. Oh, she should have done something before. He was always inclined to be selfless to a fault, to say no to help, even if it meant his own downfall.

It's with those thoughts running on a loop through her mind that has her at Link's door, knocking once, twice, thrice, before trying the handle and letting herself in once she knew it was unlocked.

Unfortunately, for once, the Zora rumor mill had been accurate.

From where he sat on the bed, arms curled around his stomach, Link stared at her, surprise swimming in his blood-shot and puffy eyes. The skin of his face was blotched red and white, his cheeks streamed with tears. Never, not even in her wildest dreams, would she have ever expected to find him like this.

As she softly closed the door behind her, her first concern was that he had attempted to give the shape shifting mask another try. It would not have been the first time during their extended stay that she had seen him exhausted and aching after an attempt at letting the mask's magic work on him.

She knew, from the short conversations she'd pulled from him in those exhausted moments, that this wasn't the same sort of pain he had felt before becoming pregnant. He had described it as if something sharp and jagged was pulsing from his center, stopping the transformation in its tracks. When she prodded further, asked him why he continued to try when his body so stubbornly fought the magic's pull, his answer had been simple.

"It's either I keep trying or I get cut open when the time comes."

As always, he was matter of fact, even the face of his own pain. It had made her swallow hard. As excited as she had been initially by the prospect of Link becoming a father, she never would have wished such a thing on him, had she realized what dangers it could bring.

She really couldn't blame him for his continued attempts. Even if his body kept pushing back against the magic of the mask, kept keeping him from transforming fully, there was nothing else he could do but keep trying.

"Zelda…"

Link's voice, still heavy with tears, broke her from her train of thought. As quickly as she had walked down the halls, she was crouched in front of him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Link, what's wrong? I heard the guards saying they heard crying in here and I just…well, here I am now. Tell me, what's going on?"

Link's face, which had become so stoic again in the past months, crumpled ever so slightly as he turned his attention to the floor, eyes brimming with tears, and mumbled a response.

"Link, please, I can't hear you."

"Nothing fits me…"

Had her nerves not already been gnawed at, Zelda might have been able to form a more eloquent statement other than.

"What?"

She instantly knew that was, perhaps, not the best thing to say as tears began spilling down Link's cheeks once more.

"Oh, no Link, I'm so sorry, I just wanted to make sure I heard yo-"

"I-I'm sorry, I know it's so silly but it…nothing feels right Zelda. My body doesn't feel right. My clothes don't feel right. _I_ don't feel right at a-all."

Zelda's heart clenched tightly at the sound of his voice. How long he had gone without saying anything? How long had he been feeling like this and doing what he could to hide it?

Her thoughts immediately go to the event not but a few month prior where he had allowed himself to pass out, rather than to seek the help he needed. She sighed quietly, stifling the frustration that threatened to rise from her gut. She knew this wasn't a personal slight against her, not a slight against anyone at all. He'd been like this for as long as she had known him and, as she knew all too well with her nervous hand wringing, old habits died hard.

"Well, I know that there's not much we can do about your body not feeling right...but we can certainly do something about your clothes!" She said, standing from her crouched position, ruffling Link's hair.

He gently batted her hands away, sniffling.

"What do you mean-"

"Just, give me the an hour or soe to find some cloth from the market. I can have more forgiving tunics ready for you before today's end."

Even as she finished, his face pinched together once more as tears spilled down his face anew.

She sighed, crouching once more, rubbing at her knight's shoulders once more.

"What's the matter Link?"

He sniffled quietly, tears dripping onto the stone floor beneath them.

"Why are y-you so nice to me? I'm j-just a big old mess right now and I-I'm so grumpy all the time Zelda so w-why-"

She shushes him gently, taking care to scratch at the base of his skull, trying to calm his tears.

"Link,a lifetime ago you were appointed as my knight. We both have been through hell and back, together and separately. I'm your friend, through and through. I kept Ganon captive for a century, I think I can handle you being a little emotional for a few months."

Link laughed weakly wiping tears away with the back of his hand.

"T-thank you, Zelda. I'm sorry, j-just...thank you."

Zelda smiled, glad to hear the sound of relief in his voice.

"Think nothing of it. Now, like I said, give me an hour or so and I'll be back to get some measurements from you."

Without another word, Zelda had gathered her skirts and had dashed off to the main plaza, ready to peruse the traveling merchants wares, hopeful that she would find cloth fine enough to work with.

* * *

The Zoras did as best they could to not stare, really they did.

It was late afternoon already, and word had spread from the guards to to common folk of Princess Zelda's short visit to Master Link's room. With the rumor before telling everyone that the sound of tears could be heard from behind his door, it wasn't much of a surprise that his appointed ward would make a visit to see him.

However, it was her sudden departure from his room and subsequent trip to the market that stirred the rumor mill anew.

They all watched, trying their best again to not stare, to give her whatever amount of privacy was deemed acceptable for Hylians. They tried and failed spectacularly as they watched he choose a swath of pale green fabric from one of the Gerudo merchant who had set up temporary shop along their magnificent walkway.

Prying ears overheard snippets of conversation, enough that, when put together, they knew what was said.

"Might I ask, my dear, what do you need so much cloth for?"

"Well," the Princess of Hyrule had begun, "a friend of mine is in need of some new tunics and I just know he will adore this color."

They all knew, without it being said, what that color meant. 'Green at the gills' was an old Zora saying, saved only to refer to those slowly dying and those preparing for their final days wore that seafoam green as a way to silently announce what would soon become of them.

Publically, the Zora were strong, just as Princess Zelda was in the face of such tragedy.

In private, however, they had already begun to mourn what would soon be the death of a hero.

Unknown to them, another set of ears listened in on their rumors, to their traditions, to their assumptions.

Tula slowly chewed on a lump of cheese, a smattering of raw mushrooms laid before her as her wares.

The Hero of Hyrule was supposedly near death's door and she knew her next report would need more details then just rumor mill garbage.


End file.
